Small Steps Forward
by snapple79
Summary: Sam and Andy at Fite Nite in 503 - this is my take on what we didn't see once they got to the event.


I was rewatching some of the scenes from 503 and this little one-shot popped into my head. I tried keeping it right in line with what we saw in the show in terms of where McSwarek is in their reconnecting. Hope you enjoy! Leave a review and let me know what you think. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue.

* * *

**Small Steps Forward**

Sam stood there, two drinks in his hand, watching Andy watch _him. _He couldn't help the bit of jealousy that ran through his body. Things were still new and he supposed he still had this fear she'd think this was all a mistake, even though she hadn't given him any indication of that since he'd woken up with her by his bedside. He forced his feet to move forward, bringing him closer to her.

She turned her head when she felt him approach and her smile helped wash away some of his fears. She was here _with him,_ not the guy in the ring_._ "Thanks," she said as she took the cup he reached out to her.

"He okay?" Sam asked, nodding toward where Nick was lying on the mat, blood trickling down his face.

She shrugged her shoulders. "He lost." She looked Sam straight in the eye when she said the words, wanting him to know the double meaning. The air had become heavy the moment they walked into Fite Nite and saw Nick fighting, neither prepared for the elephant in the room that had been following them for weeks to be shoved in their faces.

They watched the referee and Chloe help Nick out of the ring before Andy took a sip of the drink Sam had given her. She managed to swallow the foul-tasting red liquid but scrunched up her nose as she looked at Sam. "What is this?"

Sam had already taken his own sip of the drink and shook his head. "Don't ask me. Diaz ordered the stuff."

"It's disgusting," she said, putting the cup down on a nearby table. "So, how was your first day back?"

"Apparently, I'm a little rusty," he said, bumping her shoulder with his as he reminded her of her comment earlier.

"It's been two months. You're bound to need time to get back in the swing of things," she replied. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Sam stretch his side a bit and she knew he was frustrated his abdomen still got stiff from time to time. She turned her head and flashed a smile at him. "I'm glad you're back."

"Me too."

They stood there side by side as the next two fighters were announced and it was then that Andy realized how much time had passed since Nick had been helped out of the ring. She stole a couple glances at the curtain that hid the room he was taken too and gnawed on her bottom lip. He was still her friend and she felt guilty that the severe beating he took was because _her _rookie bailed on everyone.

"Hey," she said, placing a hand on Sam's arm to get his attention as the cheers around them got louder. "Um, I'll…I'll be right back. I'm gonna…" She nodded toward where Nick had been taken.

Sam had noticed her glances toward the back room, so he wasn't surprised when she excused herself. He couldn't help the little kernels of doubt that resurfaced as he watched her walk away.

* * *

When Andy returned, she saw Sam talking to Oliver near where the white shirts were seated, so she headed over to her friends, sitting down next to Traci. "Where's Sam?" Traci asked, knowing her friend and fellow detective had come together.

"Talking to Oliver," Andy replied, her eyes focused on the fight now going on in the ring.

"Have _you guys_ talked?" Traci asked.

Andy looked over at her friend with furrowed brows. "Trace…"

"You can't ignore it, Andy," she warned.

"We're trying to figure _this_ out," Andy said, waving her hands around. "I don't want to jeopardize that."

"Don't you think you need to discuss Nick and Marlo before you can figure it out?" her friend questioned.

"Look, we're just friends right now, trying to take things slow and do it different this time. The timing just hasn't been right yet to bring them up," Andy protested.

Traci had a look of disbelief on her face. "No one ever wants to talk about the past Andy, but if you and Sam are gonna work out this time, I think you need to."

Andy sighed, knowing her friend was right. She just didn't want to ruin the progress they'd made by bringing up their baggage. But she also didn't want him thinking she still had any feelings for Nick. She stood up and looked down at Traci. "I'll see you later, okay."

Traci hoped she lit a fire under friend and smiled up at her. "We're all going to The Penny later if you want to join us," she said.

Andy walked across the room to where Sam and Oliver were talking, and it was Oliver who saw her first. "Where's your rookie?!"

She was embarrassed that it was _her_ rookie who bailed on Fite Nite. "I don't know. He's not answering his phone," she said sheepishly.

"Give her a break, Oliver. She's his TO, she didn't train him for the fight," Sam said, coming to her defense.

"There's always next year," Oliver said. A beat later, he added, "Maybe we should get you in the ring again Sammy."

Andy's eyes went wide. "You fought at Fite Nite?"

"Rookie year," Sam replied.

"Quickest match we ever had," Oliver told her as he patted his friend on the back. "The other guy was down before anyone finished their first drink."

Sam was never comfortable with accolades or praise, and he shifted uncomfortably. Andy just looked on with a proud smile, knowing he wouldn't want her to make a fuss, especially in front of Oliver.

One of other white shirts was beckoning Oliver, and he grumbled about being stuck with them before saying goodbye to Sam and Andy, and heading back to his seat.

"Wanna watch the rest of the fights?" Andy asked.

"Yes," he said with a nod. "Let's find some seats."

They found some empty chairs and watched the last two fights of the night.

"27 Division kicked our ass this year," Andy said, standing up after the last fight was over.

"Wanna go drown our sorrows at The Penny?" Sam asked, not wanting the night with Andy to be over yet. She nodded, taking any opportunity to spend more time with Sam.

He pressed a hand to the small of her back as they walked out of the building and to his truck. It was a fairly silent drive as they listened to music pouring through the radio. Andy was replaying her conversation with Traci over and over in her mind, and she knew her friend was right. They'd taken small steps over the last two months to get in a good place, to figure out what they wanted and what they needed, and moving on from the past seemed like the next logical step.

"Can we, uh…can we sit here for a minute?" Andy asked when they pulled into the parking lot of the bar.

Sam nodded as he turned the ignition off and looked over at her. "What's wrong?" He could see the worry lines on her face and wanted to fix whatever was troubling her.

"Nothing, nothing. I…" She sucked in a breath of air and wondered why this was so difficult.

"Hey," he said, reaching out for her hand that rested on the center console. "It's just me."

She pressed her lips together in a smile and felt herself relax. "I don't want there to be any confusion about earlier. I was shocked to see Nick fighting, to see him get beat like he did, but…" Her eyes had been focused on their joined hands, but she raised them now to meet Sam's. "I don't have feelings for him, you have to know that. But he took the place of _my _rookie that failed and…and…"

"He's your friend and you were concerned," Sam finished her thought. "I get it." At least he did now. He hadn't realized he'd needed to hear her say these things, hadn't realized he needed this reassurance from her. But he did.

"We never talked about...you know, them...and I guess I just need you to know. It ended the night you almost died and I realized if you did, I would want to die too," she admitted, emotion filling her eyes.

"McNally," he said softly, astounded at her admission.

She shook her head to stop him. "No, you don't need to say anything." She hadn't meant to tell him how she felt while she waited for him to get out of surgery. All she'd wanted to make clear was that she felt nothing but friendship for Nick.

"Yes, I do." Sam swallowed the lump in his throat. This was the new him, being open with her, telling her what was in his head instead of assuming she could figure it out. "I haven't spoken to Marlo since that day. But it was over long before then. _You_ need to know that. You were the only person I wanted to see when I woke up."

Andy's lips curved up hearing his words. The truck became quiet, a passing car the only noise. Andy looked out the front window as she felt Sam's thumb rubbing circles on her hand. "A lot happened in the last year," she said softly, facing him again. "I don't want to bring baggage on this journey."

"Me neither."

She wanted to leave Marlo and Nick in their past and not dwell on the why, so she made the decision right then to not ask questions. She would live in the now, understand that there was a reason Marlo and Nick entered their lives the way they did. "I don't want to be cliché, but everything happens for a reason."

"It brought us here, to this point," he added, agreeing with her.

"No looking back." It was more of a question from her than a statement, to make sure they were on the same page.

"Just forward."

Andy flashed her megawatt smile, which earned her a dimpled grin in return.

"Ready to buy me a drink, McNally?"

"I thought _you_ were buying, detective."

"No celebratory drink my first day back?" he deadpanned.

"But you invited me," she tossed back at him.

Neither could keep a straight face much longer as they teased each other and it was Andy that cracked first. Her laugh as they got of his truck was music to Sam's ears.

* * *

The End.


End file.
